Obama: High court nominee a 'trailblazing lady'

Calling her a "trailblazing lady," President Obama officially nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan to fill the opening on the Supreme Court in a ceremony this morning in the White House.

Kagan has won accolades from "across the ideological spectrum," said Obama, who praised her "openness to a broad array of viewpoints" and what he said is a "habit of understanding before disagreeing."

"She sought to recruit prominent conservatives," when she was dean of the Harvard Law School, Obama said, and encouraged students to debate and find common ground in the practice of law. He also praised her work in support of everyday Americans, as the government's chief lawyer and as a legal scholar.

"I think it says a great deal about her commitment to protect our fundamental rights," Obama said. "It says a great deal about the path Elena has chosen."

Kagan said she feels "blessed" to have represented the U.S. government before the Supreme Court, calling it "the most thrilling and humbling task a lawyer can perform."

She praised the work of Justice John Paul Stevens, whom she has been nominated to replace, noting his commitment to precedent -- a buzzword in the White House argument for adding Kagan to the court. The president has expressed great dismay that the court recently struck down campaign finance laws in its recent Citizens United decision, overturning decades of precedent. Administration officials say Kagan would be a backstop against that happening again.